ACTS 15 - WHY THE 4 THINGS

Why did they only tell the Gentiles to abstain from meats offered to idols, from blood and from things strangled and from fornication?" 15:20, 29

Lew's reply:

The major issue at the Yerushalayim council was how to bring the former Gentiles into the fold, especially considering these folks were steeped in all sorts of Pagan ideas and practices that needed to be halted entirely. The 4 things they needed to change right away were those practices that directly dealt with how they lived and worshipped their idols. They could not serve Yahuah doing those same things! The 4 things had to do with what was to be stopped, and then they could continue to learn how to live according to Yahuah’s instructions by hearing “Mosheh” read in the synagogues.

“Mosheh” is a reference to Torah, and the opportunity to hear it would come every weekly Shabath.

Here is the KJV rendering of the area of the text you mentioned, with the concordance number for each Greek word used:

Act 15:28 For¹⁰⁶³ it seemed good¹³⁸⁰ to the³⁵⁸⁸ Holy⁴⁰ Ghost,⁴¹⁵¹ and²⁵³² to us,²²⁵⁴ to lay²⁰⁰⁷ upon you⁵²¹³ no³³⁶⁷ greater⁴¹¹⁹ burden⁹²² than⁴¹³³ these⁵¹³⁰ necessary things;¹⁸⁷⁶

Act 15:29 That ye abstain⁵⁶⁷ from meats offered to idols,¹⁴⁹⁴ and²⁵³² from blood,¹²⁹ and²⁵³² from things strangled,⁴¹⁵⁶ and²⁵³² from fornication:⁴²⁰² from¹⁵³⁷ which³⁷³⁹ if ye keep¹³⁰¹ yourselves,¹⁴³⁸ ye shall do⁴²³⁸ well,²⁰⁹⁵ Fare ye well.⁴⁵¹⁷

The Greek term “Hagios Pneuma” (Holy Ghost / Spirit) would be Ruach ha’Qodesh in Hebrew, of course. They turned single words into short phrases as their best-guess to the meaning for each Greek word. For one thing, the word “meat” is not in the sentence at all, but only the Greek terms “apechomai” (abstain) and “eidolothuton” (idol sacrifice/service/offering). This would include a great deal, such as participating in ANY pattern of Pagan idol servitude, such as going to a party and lifting a cup to toast “the gods”, or celebrating on a day that is only derived from a Pagan background (such as Saturnalia), even if it had been “cleansed” and turned into another meaning. And, it would also include the offering of “meat” to an idol. But we know that Shaul explained that we could eat the meat that had been offered to an idol, but not if it caused a brother to stumble (1 Cor. 8:4). Eating meat and offering it to an idol are two different things.

The word “blood” (aima) can mean literally eating blood because an animal had been throttled and not properly “bled” before cooking it, but it can also be taken to mean “bloodshed” - so both interpretations are certainly applicable.

To take this short message as it is without understanding the context and what the Gentiles were used to doing, and claim that people born out of the Covenant may do whatever they wish except for the four things, is misinterpreting a great deal. If this were the case, it would mean that former Gentiles (who have become fellow citizens of Yisra’el through the covenants) could covet, lie, misuse Yahuah’s Name (cast it to ruin), ignore Shabbath, bully and misuse their parents, and still be fine with Yahuah. The 4 things all seem to point to the practices that went on at the Pagan temples, including “porneia”, which was central to idol-worship, through the temple prostitutes.

After stopping their idolatrous patterns of living, the next step for these who were “turning” to Yahuah was to hear the instructions of Yahuah:

Act 15:21 For¹⁰⁶³ Moses³⁴⁷⁵ of old time^{1537,
744, 1074} hath²¹⁹² in every city^{2596,
4172} them that preach²⁷⁸⁴ him,⁸⁴⁶ being read³¹⁴ in¹⁷²² the³⁵⁸⁸ synagogues⁴⁸⁶⁴ every^{2596,
3956} sabbath day.⁴⁵²¹

It’s amazing that Christianity misses this blatant reference to the weekly Shabath.

It must be a stronghold (false reasoning).

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